Chestee h



(No Model.)

0. H. POND. CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR ELECTRIC CLOCKS. No. 338,773.

Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

C/Eesteriforzd,

N. PEIERS. Finale-Lithographer, Wasnmgiwu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrtcni CHESTER H. POND, OF BPOOKLYN, NEXV YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

338,773, dated 30, 1835.

Application filed June 6, 1885. Serial No.167,854. (No model.)

ToaZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, (hinsrnn H. Pom), a citizen of the United States, residing at Brook lyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Closers for Electric Clocks, .of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the class of devices employed for periodically completing the connection of an electric circuit by the operation of a clock mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide reliable means for completing the connections of a circuit once each minute or at other predetermined intervals, which device shall be operated without impairing the time-keeping qualities of the regulator to which it is applied.

In general terms the invention may be described as follows: In place of the usual form of crutch applied to the pendulum of a regulator aweighted arm is employed, this arm being attached to the escapement-anchor in the same manner as the crutch. The weighted arm is provided with a flexible spring, which presses against one side of the pend ulu m-rod. It is by reason of the successive impulses given to the pendulum through this spring that the vibration of the pendulum is maintained. The spring rests constantly at a given point against the pendulum rod, and the changes of the relative positions of the pendulum-rod and weighted lever are compensated for by the bending of the spring, so that no friction is produced between the two parts. Upon the arbor of the escapement-anchor is carried an insulated arm, carrying at its extremity a knife-edge contact. Upon the arher of the scapewheel there is carried an arm,which also is provided with a knife-edge contact, lying in a plane at right angles to that of the first-named contact. The revolu tion of the scapewheel periodically places the cont-act moving therewith in position to intercept the path of the contact moving with the escapement-anchor. The parts are so adjusted that the two points or contacts will be brought against each other immediately before the completion of the movement of the weighted lever in the direction of the pendulum, so that a very short contact will be made between the points. The return movement of the pendulum will again separate the points. The failure of the in'ipulse-lever to complete its full movement once each time the circuit is thus completed will not in the slightest degree affect or impair the time-keeping qualities of the clock.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a front view, of such parts of a clock mechanism as are required to illustrate the invention. Fig. 3 illustrates a modification.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a clock-pendulum, which is suspended in any convenient manner. The scape-wheel B is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow by means of a spring or weight in a manner well understood. The movements of the scapewheel are controlled by an anchor, O. The anchor is carried upon an arbor, c, which also carries a weighted arm or impulse-lever, D. The lower end of the arm D is provided with a weight, (I. A spring, is secured to the weight (I or the arm D by means of a suitable clamp or plate, 9, which is secured to the weight by screws The position of the spring G maybe adjusted laterally between the screws g. The end of the spring G rests against the pendulum-rod, and when, by the movement of the scape-wheel, the impulselever D moves toward the right hand, Fig. 2, it will exert a pressure upon the pendulunr rod, tending to cause it to swing toward the right hand. Alter the pendulum has completed its normal vibration toward the right hand the scape-wheel and anchor will be in such relative positions that the former will tend to vibrate the anchor in the opposite direction, thereby relieving the pendulum of the pressure caused by the weight (2 exerted through the spring G. In this manner the vibration of the pendulum is maintained. The point at which the end of the spring rests against the pendulum-rod is not changed, owing to the resilience of the spring, which bends slightly as the relative positions of the rod and the impulse'arm change, thus avoiding the friction which is incident to the employment of a crutch. This portion of the apparatus, however, is not in itself new.

5 Upon the arbor c of the escapement-anchor there is carried an insulated arm, E. At the extremity of the arm there is carried a knifeedge contact, c. This contact is carried toward and away from the arbor I; of the scapewheel at each vibration of the pendulumrod or of the escapement-anchor. Upon the arbor b there is carried an arm, F, which carries at its extremity a knifeedge contact, f; The revolution of the scape-wheel causes 1 the contact f to be placed in the path of the contact 6 once a minute. Theswing of the arm E places the point 6 against the point f. The duration of the contact, however, may be very short. The next succeeding 2o movement of the point 0 toward the right hand will be uninterrupted, as the pointf will have been carried out of its path. A strong and reliable contact will be made by the impingement of the two points, by reason of the weight d. Immediately after the interception of the point e by the pointf the pendulum-rod will move away from the spring G and the point 6 will rest against the point f with all the pressure due to the weight acting through a long leverage.

The knife-edge contact f is represented as lying in the plane of its revolution. It is evident, however, that it might be placed at right angles to this and the plane of the contact 0 5 changed to correspond.

It is designed that conductors 1 and 2, lead ing from a battery through any suitable system of electric clocks or other devices, shall be respectively connected with the points 6 4o andfin any suitable manner.

Instead of two knife-edge contacts, 6 and f, crossing each other at an angle-the forms of contacts shown in Figs. 1 and 2one of the contacts may be yielding, as shown atfin Fig. 3.

The contact f consists of a flexible spring secured to the arbor b in any convenient manner, and constructed to yield slightly when pressed by the contact 6. The contact 7 is 5cpreferably beveled upon the rear surface, so that the downward movement of the arm e will tend to bend the spring forward, and at the same time permit of a rubbing-contact, which keeps the points bright. This construction permits the cont-act e to continue to advance, and it is therefore evident that it may be applied to a crutch, such as is usually employed in connection with pendulums.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a pendulum-rod and a weighted impulse-lever, of a scape-wheel, an escapement-anchor applied thereto, and

6 controlling the movements of said impulselever, a contact-point vibrating with said escapement-anehor, and a second contact-point periodically placed in the path of the firstnamed contact-point, substantially as described.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a clock-pendulum and an impulse-rod applied thereto, of a scape-wheel, an eseapement-anchor, a contact-point moving with said anchor, a sec- 0nd contact-point moving with said scapewheel and periodically placed thereby in the path of the first-named point, substantially as described.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbcfore set forth, with a pendulum-rod, a scape-wheel, and an escapement-anchor, of an impulsearm, a-spring secured to said arm and normally pressing against said pendulum-rod, a contact-point moving with said impulse-arm, and a second contact-point periodically placed in the path of the firstnamed point, thereby intercepting its movements and momentarily separating said impulsespring from said pendulum-rod. 9o

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore setv forth, with a pendulum-rod, an impulse-arm, a scape-wheel, an escapementanchor applied thereto and controlling the .movements of said arm, and an impulscspring intervening between said arm and rod, of a contact-point and means for placing the latter periodically in the path of the former during one vibration only of the said impulsearm. 0

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a pendulum-rod, an impulse arm or lever, and an intervening spring, of a scape-wheel, an escapement-anchor applied thereto, an insulated knife-edge I05 contact-point supported from the arbor of said escapement-anchor, a second knife-edge contact-point carried upon the arbor of said scape-wheel, the faces of which contacts intersect each other at an angle, and means substantially such as described for placing the one contact in the path of the other once-each revolution of the scape-wheel.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a' clock-movement, II 5 of a circuit-closer, consisting of a vibrating knife-edge contact and a revolving knifeedge contact, the two having their faces in planes crossing each other, substantially as described.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a clock-movement, of a circuit-closing point vibrating with the pendulum, and a second contact-point revolved by the clock-movement and periodically placed in the path of the first-named contact-point.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a clock-movement, of a circuit-closing point vibrated thereby, and a yielding contact-arm revolving with one of the arbors of the movement and periodically placed in the path of the vibrating-point, 2 In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub- IO substantially as described. scribed my name this 27 th day of May, A. D.

9. The combination, substantially as here- 1885. inbefore set forth, with a clockpendulum and a scape-Wheel, of avibrating contact mov- CHESTER H. POND. ing with the pendulum, and a, yielding contact-arm having 2L beveled end revolving with Witnesses: the scape-wheel and periodically placed in the DANL. W. EDGEOOMB, path of the vibrating contact. CHARLES A. TERRY. 

